Thill-coupling.



N0. 629,0I3. Patented July I8, 18:99.

R. H. & W. A. McNAIR.

THlLL COUPLING.

(Application filed Nov. 17, 1898.)

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UNITED STATEs PATENT EEIcE,

- ROBERT IIANES MONAIR AND WILLIAM ALEXANDER MONAIR, or ELSAIL.

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO eEoReE w. HERDMAN AND SYLVANUS L. IIILL,

OF JERSEYVILTIE, ILLINOIS.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,013, dated July 18, 1899.

Application filed November 17,1898. erial No. 696,691. (No Inorlehl T (0Z7, whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT I'IANES MO- NAIR and WILLIAM ALEXANDER MONAIR, citizens of the United States, residing in Elsah,

Jersey county, Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Couplings for Thills and Poles, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a coupling for thills and poles'constructed in accord- IO ance with the principles of our invention, the vehicle-axle being shown in cross-section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view analogous to Fig. 1, parts being omitted,

said view being drawn to illustrate the operation of uncoupling. tion of the vertically-reciprocating yoke.

Our object is to construct a coupling for thills and poles which may be readily uncoupled when it is desired to change from thills to poles, or vice versa,'and which will not rattle.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, the base-plate 5 is placed against the lower face of the axle 6 and is held in position by the clip 7. The rear opening 8 fits the end of the clip, and the forward opening 9 is elongated in a direction transversely of the axle inorder that the plate may be used with clips and axles of different sizes. A groove 10 is formed in the lower face of the plate 5. The wire spring 11 consists of the central portion 11 the coiled portions 11*, the end portions 11, and the hooks 11. The spring 11 is placed in position with the central portion 11 in the groove 10, as shown in dotted lines. The clamping-plate 12 is placed in position below the central portion of the spring with the ends of the clip passing through openings corresponding to the openings in the baseplate, and nuts 13 are screwed upon the ends of the clip to hold the base-plate, the spring, and the clalnping plate securely together. The parallel open bearings 14 extend for wardly from the plate 5, said bearings being open at their upper rear quarters. The shoulders 15 extend laterally from the forward end of the plate 5. The Vertically-reciprocating yoke 16 consists of the parallel side pieces 16, the upper cross-piece 16 and Fig. 4 is a front elevathe lower cross-piece 16 connecting the ends of the side pieces together, and the handle 16 extending upwardly from the upper crosspiece. Shoulders 16 are formed upon the rear sides near the centers of the side pieces, and the upper ends of said side pieces are enlarged, thus producing downwardly-pointing wedges having the inclined front faces 16 and the vertical rear faces 16 When the yoke is placed in the uncoupled position, the bearings 14 extend through the yoke, and the shoulders 16 rest upon the shoulders 15. A flange 16 extends backwardly from the lower cross piece 16, and vertical bearings are formed through said flange to receive the hooks 11. The tension of the spring 11 pulls downwardly on the yoke. The rear end of the thill or pole is represented by the bar 17, having the head 18, which fits between the bearings let and the pin 19, passing through the head and projecting from both sides of said head. When the yoke 16 is in position, with the shoulders 16 resting upon the shoulders 15, as shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the pin 19 will pass downwardly in front of the inclined faces 16 into the open bearings. By pressing forwardly. on the handle 16 the shoulders are disengaged and the tension of the spring 11 draws the yoke downwardly, thus bringing the rear faces 16 against the front faces of the shoulders 15 andbringing the inclined faces 16- against the ends of the pin 19. In this position the upper ends of the side pieces of the yoke serve as wedges to press the ends of the pin 19 into the open bearings, as shown in Fig. 1. Then the thill or pole cannot be uncoupled until the yoke is manually elevated into the position shown in Fig. 3. The pin 19 cannot rattle in the bearings. 9

tending forwardly from the plate, shoulders extending laterally from the forward end of the plate, and a spring-actuated verticallyreciprocating yoke having Wedge-shaped portions to engage said shoulders, substantially as specified.

2. A coupling for thills and poles, consisting of a base-plate having a rear opening to receive the rear end of a clip and having an elongated forward opening to receive the forward end of a clip, a clip operating in said openings toconnect the base-plate to an axle, parallel open bearings extending forwardly from the base-plate, shoulders extending laterally from the forward end of the plate, and a spring actuated vertically reciprocating yoke having wedge-shaped portions to engage said shoulders, substantially as specified.

3. A coupling for thills'and poles consisting of a base-plate, parallel open bearings extending forwardly from the base-plate, shoulders extending laterally from the forward end of the base -plate, a spring-actuated vertically-reciprocatin g yoke havi n gwedge-shaped portions to engage the front faces of said shoulders and having shoulders at the lower ends of said wedge-shaped portions to rest upon the first-mentioned shoulders when the Wedge-shaped portions are not in use, substantially as specified.

4:. A coupling for thills and poles consist ing of a base-plate, parallel open bearings eX- tending forwardly from the base-plate, shoulders extending laterally from the forward end of the base-plate, a spring-actuated verticallyreciprocating yoke having wedge-shaped portions to engage the front faces of said shoulders and having shoulders at the lower ends of said wedge-shaped portions to rest upon the first-mentioned shoulders when the wedgeshaped portions are not in use, and a handle extending upwardly from the yoke, substan stantially as specified.

5. A coupling for thills and poles, consistin g of a base-plate having the groove 10 formed in its lower face, the wire spring 11 operating in said groove, the clamping-plate placed against the spring, a clip holding the clamping-plate and base-plate in position, parallel open bearings extending forwardly from the plate, shoulders extending laterally from the forward end of the plate, a vertically-reciprocating yoke connected to said spring and having wedge-shaped portions to engage said shoulders, substantially as specified. ROBERT lIANES MGNAIR. WILLIAM ALEXANDER MUNAIH. Witnesses:

HARRY KEYSER, II. E. HOWARD. 

